Fruit-grader.



No. 725,756; PATENTED APR.28,1903.

d. RAYBURN. 31m GRADEB.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18. 1902.

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anveuto p azaz/m i z mg witness PATENTED APR. 28. 1903. G.RAYBURN. 7

FRUIT GRADBR.

APPLICATION FILED'AUG. 18, 190 2.

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5! u unto: aim/as CHARLES RAYBURN, OF VISALIA, CALIFORNIA.

FRUIT-GRADER.

SPECIFICATION forming part (if-Letters Patent N 0. 726,756, dated April 28, 1903. Application filed August 18, 1902. Serial No. 120,131. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES RAYBURN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Visalia, in the county of Tulare and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'FruitGraders; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will separating surfaces or sections have a fixed. relation, so that the sections cannot be independently adjusted for fine grading norvaried for this purpose without wrappingthose surfaces which it is desired to change with paper or other material to enable thesizes of the discharge spaces or apertures formedby some of the surfaces to be varied without varying the spaces or apertures formed by the remaining surfaces.

The object of myinvention is to obviate this difficulty by the provision of a series of rolls which are adjustable independently of one another, so that any of the number of discharge spaces or apertures may be varied as to size with the utmost nicetywithout-vaQ rying the sizes of the others.

With this and other objectsin view, which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in certain novel features of construction, combina-: tion, and: arrangement of parts,as: will be; hereinafter morefully'described,and particu-:

larly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a top planview of a fruit s'izer embodyingmy invention,a portion'of the'frame being broken awayto expose the construction. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a 1ongitudinal section substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the grooved rollers and its supports. Fig.

'motion from any suitable source of power and drives the shafts2 and 3 through the medium of the connecting-belts 6 and 7.

V The fruit sizing or grading devices are arranged below and between the shafts 2 and 3 and consist in the specific construction ,shown of a center piece or divider 8 and two longitudinal parallel series of rolls 9 and 10, although, if desired, buta single series of rolls may be used in connection with'the center piece, in which case the driving mechanism will be accordingly modified. Belts 11, traveling in grooves in the center piece or divider and passing around grooved wheels 12 and 13 on the'shafts 4 and 5,are providedfor feeding the fruit through the machine and over and along the sizingdevices in the usual manner. The rolls 9 are driven by belts 14 from the shaft 2 and the rolls 10 by corresponding bolts 15 from the shaft 3.

As shown, the rolls of each series extend end to end and parallel with the center piece 8 and are independently mounted, each being journaled at its ends in brackets 16, adj ustably secured to the frame, so that it may be adjusted toward and from said center piece independently of the other rolls. The distance between the rolls of each series and the center pieceincreases progressively from one t0 the other end of the machine, forming apertures for the discharge of the fruit, and by charge-apertures formed by some of the rolls may be varied without varying the apertures formed by the remaining rolls. The operation of the rolls in forcing the fruit through the proper apertures will be readily understood by those conversant with the art.

The means employed for effecting the adjustment of the brackets may of course have a wide range of variation in form, construction, and mode of application. In Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, I have shown one form of adjustment, consisting in employing screws 17, carrying wing-nuts 18, for moving the brackets in one direction or the other to adjust the rolls independently with relation to the center piece 8, the brackets being held and guided by supports 19, projecting through slots 20, formed therein.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modification in the supporting and adjusting mechanism for the brackets wherein each bracket is suspended from the top of the frame and is adjustable vertically and laterally of the frame through the medium of a hanger 21 and adjusting-screw 22, each of which is threaded to receive a wing'nut 23, the hanger being adjustable in a slot 24 to permit of the lateral adjustment of the roll. In each case the roll is independently mounted and adjustable for the purpose set forth. The screw 22 may also have a lock-nut 25.

In the form of adjusting means shown in Fig. 7 the screw 22 carries a wing-nut 26, which is swiveled in a bearing-plate 27, se cured to the side of the frame and by means of which the screw may be moved inward or outward to adjust the bracket as desired. I do not of course limit myself to either of these modes of adjustment, but reserve the right to employ any suitable adjusting means for the described purpose. The fruit passin g through the discharge-apertures falls into the spouts 28, of which there are as many employed as there are discharge-apertures. It will be noted that the rolls are positioned high enough to form no impediment to the free adjustment of the spouts below to receive the fruit.

The rolls may all be of the same size or different sizes, as desired.

Idlers 29 are provided for adjusting the belts 14 and 15 to compensate for the adjustment of the rolls and maintaining a desired tautness of'the belts.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, mode of operation, and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent without requiring an extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, and I therefore reserve to myself the right to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fruit-sizing machine, a runway for the fruit comprising cooperating parallel members, one of said members consisting of a series of rolls arranged end to end and disposed progressively at different distances from the other member, forming communicating fruit discharging apertures of progressively-different widths along the length of the runway, means for adjusting each roll independently to vary the size of the aperture formed thereby, and means for driving the rolls, substantially as described.

2. In a fruit-sizing machine, a supportingframe, a runway for the fruit comprising cooperating parallel members, one of said members consisting of a series of rolls arranged end to end and disposed progressively at different distances from the other member,forming communicating fruit-discharging apertures of progressively-diiferent widths along the length of the runway, brackets carrying the rolls, means mounted upon the frame for moving each bracket and adjusting each roll independently to vary the size of the aperture formed thereby, and means for driving the rolls, substantially as described.

3. In a fruit-sizing machine, the combination with a supporting-frame, ofa fruit runway formed by a relatively stationary memher and a longitudinal series of rolls arranged end to end at difierent distances from said stationary member, thus providing communicatin g spaces of progressively-varying sizes for the discharge of the fruit, means for independently adjusting the rolls with relation to said stationary member, means for driving the rolls, and means for positively feeding the fruit along the runway, substantially as set forth.

4. In a fruit-grading machine, thecombina tion with a supporting-frame, of a fruit-runway comprising a relatively stationary memher and a series of rolls disposed in parallel relation to said member and arranged end to end at difierent distances from the stationary member, forming communicating passages of progressively varying sizes along the runway for the discharge of the fruit, means for adjusting the rolls with relation to the stationary member, means for driving said rolls, and a traveling belt moving in parallel relation to the stationary member and rolls for positively feeding the fruit along the run way, substantially as described.

5. In a fruit-grading machine, the combination withasupporting-frame, of a central longitudinal divider, forming one side of each of two parallel runways, a series of rolls disposed on each side of the divider and arranged end to end at different distances from the divider, forming therewith a runway having progressively-varying discharge-spaces for the fruit, means for adjusting the rolls of each series toward and from the common divider, means for driving the rolls, and belts .disposed on opposite sides of the divider for positively feeding the fruit along the runways, substantially as described.

6. In a fruit-sizing machine, the combination with a supporting-frame, of a longitudinal shaft, transverse shafts, one of which is adapted to be driven from a suitable source of power, a runway comprising a relatively stationary member and an adjustable member consisting of a series of rolls arranged parallel therewith and disposed end to end and at different distances from the stationary member, means for independently adjusting the rolls with relation to the stationary member, means for driving the rolls from the longitunesses.

' CHAS. RAYBURN. Witnesses:

JOHN CADOGAN, WM. H. MOUSER. 

